Ricky Ponting says his side has snatched some momentum from South Africa but still has some work to do after Australia's 24-run win in the one-day international in Port Elizabeth.

The victory was Australia's first on the tour and came on the heels of Friday's 196-run defeat in Cape Town when the tourists were bowled out for 93, their fourth-lowest score ever, losing by 196 runs.

But paceman Brett Lee made the key breakthrough by removing South African captain Graeme Smith for 10 and bowling at over 150 km/h the speedster finished with a match-winning 4-48.

Led by Ponting's 62 in his return from a two-match break with a stomach muscle injury, Australia made 6-254 then bowled out the Proteas for 230 in 47.2 overs.

The win keeps the five-game series alive with South Africa taking a 2-1 lead into Friday's fourth match in Durban.

"They probably got closer than they should have at the end there," said Ponting.

South Africa had been 9-199 but Roger Telemachus clubbed 29 off 13 balls in a 31-run stand for the 10th wicket.

"Momentum might have swung a little bit. I'm not sure if it's totally back in our favour," Ponting added.

The Proteas were 5-69 before Shaun Pollock (69) and AB De Villiers (68) piled on 119, a record sixth-wicket stand for South Africa against Australia.

Shane Watson finally bowled Pollock in the 43rd over.

De Villiers, after making his maiden half-century, threw his wicket away next over when Brad Hogg held a screamer overhead at long-on.

Lee quickly removed Andrew Hall and Robin Peterson but Telemachus took 20 runs off one over from Lee including two big sixes.

Telemachus fell lbw to Nathan Bracken in the 48th over, bringing a hush to the sell-out crowd of 16,584 who had been cheering his every move.

Ponting became the ninth player to pass the 9,000-run milestone. Damien Martyn (51) and Simon Katich (49) returned to form after struggling earlier in the series and Michael Clarke made 25.

After putting on 63 with Katich, Ponting shared a 74-run stand with Martyn before becoming Pollock's second victim.

Martyn was out in the 46th over before Mike Hussey belted 22 from 10 balls, helping Australia score 4-84 in the final 10 overs.

South Africa had progressed to 2-60 before Watson sparked a collapse of 3-9.

Watson had Boeta Dippenaar (16) lbw and eight runs later a fired-up Lee dismissed Mark Boucher (5) caught behind.

Justin Kemp (0) fell to Stuart Clark before the century stand from Pollock and De Villiers.

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